


5 times Peter made Tony laugh and 1 time he made him cry

by RebecaThomas



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Angst with a Happy Ending, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Humor, NOT STARKER - Freeform, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Peter Parker & Morgan Stark are Siblings, Peter Parker Calls Tony Stark "Dad", Peter Parker Cries, Peter Parker Gets a Hug, Peter Parker Has a Family, Peter Parker Meets the Avengers, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Platonic Cuddling, Sleepwalking, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Cries, Tony Stark Gets a Hug, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2020-03-06 09:52:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18848641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebecaThomas/pseuds/RebecaThomas
Summary: Tony has a reputation for being someone who doesn't laugh very much. The Avengers know this. They're sure. 100% positive. Right?OrThe Avengers watch as Tony's tough exterior melts for a 16 year old who seems to have wormed his way into the mechanic's heart.





	1. Vending machines and gauntlets

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my second work in the fandom and my first multi-chapter fic! I hope that you enjoy and please leave a kudos or somment if you enjoyed! Thank you to @aatticsaltt for checking over my work and fixing the mistakes and also for giving me the idea for this 5+1! Hope you enjoy!!!

"Hello?" Tony's weary voice called out on the phone. 

"Mr Stark! I,uh, know that you didn't want to be disturbed and you said not to call you unless there was an emergency because you were on a mission with the Avengers, which is like so cool, and you're probably really busy-" 

"Stop talking. Is it an emergency? Because if it's not, we are having a lovely talk about what classes as an emergency when I get back. Capisce, kid?" 

"Capisce, Mr Stark!" the boy said quickly. 

"So, what happened that was so important that you had to call me?" 

"Oh I, uh, I don't think it's really a big deal after all," he answered softly.

Tony sighed. He hadn't meant to scare the kid, it was obviously a big deal if Peter had called him when he knew that he was coming back from a mission. 

"No, something obviously happened for you to call me, so tell me before I get FRIDAY to." 

"No, no, no! Don't make FRIDAY snitch. I'll tell you!" he quickly replied. "I, um, might have maybegottenmyhandstuckinthevendingmachine?" 

Tony blinked then slowly looked at the phone where Peter's contact photo was smiling back at him. "I'm sorry, you did what now?" 

Taking a deep breath he slowly repeated, "I might have maybe gotten my hand stuck in the vending machine?" He then took another breath before launching into an apology and explanation, "But I swear Mr. Stark, it wouldn't have gotten stuck normally, but I accidentally took one of your gauntlets and it's stuck to my hand and now it's stuck inside the vending machine and I can't get it off! And I'm really sorry, I didn't know what was happening until it was too late!" 

Tony couldn't help it, he burst out laughing at the teen's current predicament. He was laughing so hard that tears were forming in his eyes and he was clutching his stomach in a desperate attempt to stop laughing. 

By now the rest of the Avengers were staring at the man, bewildered. Who had made him laugh this hard? And what had happened? They all looked at each other and at Tony with varying levels of confusion. Rhodey was the only one who wasn't looking around confused, but instead smiling at his phone while he recorded the whole interaction. 

When Tony had finally finished laughing, he wheezed out an answer about sitting tight because he was only 10 minutes away. He ended the call and leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, still smiling. 

"So, who were you calling, Stark?" Natasha asked Tony with an amused smile. 

Tony's head snapped up and twisted around to look at her before replying, "None of your business, Romanoff." 

"Alright, geez no need to tear my head off." she said, placing her hands up, placatingly. 

The rest of the ride home was sat in questioning silence at the billionaire, who was smiling at his phone. When they reached their destination, Tony was the first one to leave, springing up with more energy than what one should have after a mission. 

Steve attempted to question Tony before he left and have him stay for the post-mission debrief, but before Steve could get a word in edgewise, Rhodey sent Tony off with a hug and a mutter about 'stupid teenagers'. Tony replied, "Better than we were," before taking off towards Stark Towers.

-  
Thirty minutes later, Peter finally got his arm unstuck after Tony came and freed him. The whole process somehow managed to use butter, some soda, and a piece of cardboard to get his arm out. 

As soon as the gauntlet came off his arm, Tony suddenly had an armful of the teenager, who was spewing an endless stream of thank you's and apologies. 

Tony would be lying if he said that he didn't wrap his arms around him and smile into his hair, whispering, "I'll always take care of you, kid."


	2. What's up?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Watching Peter walk silently on the ceiling barefoot had become a normal sight for Tony. For the others though? Not so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry it took so long to update! My amazing beta (@aatticsaltt) was super busy but we got it checked and edited now so we are all ok! I promise to try and update more regularly but idk if that'll actually happen. But anyway enjoy this chapter!!!!

Tony rushed into the kitchen, grabbed his coffee and phone, and left before FRIDAY could begin to tell him that he was late. He knew.

**Pepper was going to kill him.**

By the time he made it to the meeting, he was already 45 minutes late. He took a deep breath, slid his sunglasses onto his face, and strode purposely into the room. The glares he received were ignored as he sat down with a flourish, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back in his chair.

"Tony, where have you been? The meeting started 45 minutes ago. We've been waiting for you so we could begin," Steve said, harshly.

"Lost track of time, Capsicle. But I'm touched that you missed me so much," he responded with an easy smile on his face. He hadn't been lying when he said that he lost track of time, though but it wasn't because of anything that the team would have thought of. He was finishing off the updates for the new Spiderman suit when Pepper called to tell him that he was going to be late. The rest was just a blur of him leaving the house.

"Look, it's fine now. He's here so let's just start the meeting." Rhodey said, standing up to get the rest of the team's attention. He turned towards the UN representative and nodded at her to begin.

-

"Our last point is that the rest of UN has decided that the Avengers should move back into New York after the first missions proved to be a success. Since the rest of you have signed the revised Accords, the UN have agreed that there should be no problems with you guys moving back to New York, on the condition that you must stay with someone that is authorised by us. We have decided that Stark will be able to house you and-"

"Yeah, no. I'm not taking them in. I have my own problems to deal with and don't have the time to babysit. No deal." the billionaire replied with a hard glint in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark, but that won't be possible. You have to take them in. It will show the rest of the world that the Avengers are on good terms and will boost the public's overall attitude towards superheroes. There will be more support for you and better press if you take them in. It won't be for long, just until we can find somewhere that is equipped to handle them."

"Tony, please. We know that we left on bad terms but we're hoping to mend our broken bonds. We all know that what we did was wrong, myself especially, but we need to stay together if a threat arises. I know that an apology doesn't erase the mistakes that we made, but we have to start somewhere," Steve pleaded.

A glance at Rhodey only confirmed the verdict. He sighed, he didn't want to but for the world to be safe... he had to.

"... Fine."

-

The Avengers were still settling into their new residence and were careful not to get on Tony's bad side. Especially Steve. They had discovered a lot of new things at Stark Tower though, such as Bruce.

As it turns out, Bruce had came out of hiding and was offered a place to stay in the Tower by Tony himself. He had been helping out in the R&D department as a way of saying thanks. Bruce had greeted them quickly before rushing off to another lab to check on a project. He always seemed to be working, but he still made time to sit down and talk with the rest of the team.

Another thing that they had discovered was Spiderman. Tony had been reluctant to introduce them to him, but after a couple of weeks, he decided that he would introduce the man behind the mask. Or rather, the boy.

Peter Parker was a 16 year old boy who lived with his Aunt May in Queens. He was in the decathlon team at his school. He was also Spiderman. The fact came as a surprise to most of the Avengers. Except Bruce. He already knew.

Before they could start shouting at Tony, Bruce explained that if Tony hadn't found him, Peter would've been fighting armed robbers in a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Tony left a mental reminder to thank Bruce later.

They had all eventually accepted Peter, and were surprised at the close relationship between Tony and Peter.

-

It was Thursday afternoon and the Avengers were all sat gathered in the communal living room. Tony had opted to stand by the island in the attached kitchen. Peter would be back soon and he was waiting for the kid so that they could start working on the suit. He heard a small sound coming from his phone and saw that it was notification sound that he had put for Peter's contact.

**MR. STARK!**

**I'm going to prank the Avengers!**

**Don't ruin the surprise.**

**Also I'm on the ceiling.**

The last text had him slowly lift his gaze up towards the ceiling, where a grinning Peter Parker sat. He threw a smile back at him, as a way of saying to go ahead.

Watching Peter walk silently on the ceiling barefoot had became a normal sight for Tony. For the others though? Not so much.

Peter padded quietly across the ceiling, until he was directly above the Avengers. Nodding his head at Tony, Peter waited until they had turned towards his mentor to answer a random question that he'd asked in hopes of distracting them. It had worked. Now it was all up to Peter.

Lowering himself quietly from a web, Peter waited until he was at eye level with the team to slide an Iron Man mask on his face and scream:

"WHAT'S UP?"

Their reactions were priceless. Clint gasped loudly and fumbled with his keys as a method of protection. Natasha jumped and twisted around to see two brown orbs staring at her happily, her hand hovering closely over her gun.

The best one in his opinion however, was Steve's. He had turned around and screamed slightly, his eyes looking around wildly until they landed on the laughing teen. The cackling teen lowered himself onto the ground, took off his mask and turned towards his mentor who was leaning heavily on the table as he laughed silently.

When Tony saw Peter drop down and shout at the Avengers, he lost his composure and burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that his laughs became silent and watched as the shocked looks on Avengers faces turned to face him. At some point he ended up on the floor leaning against the island. Tears were forming in his eyes and he was clutching his stomach in an attempt to stop.

When he finally managed to calm himself down, he looked up to see a beaming Peter Parker holding an outstretched arm to help him up. He gladly took it and as soon as he was back on his feet, he swiped his face and slung an arm around the teen.

"Kid, that was-" he couldn't finish his sentence without chuckling so he comprised with patting his shoulder.

"FRIDAY, please tell me you recorded all of that?"

"Yes, Boss. Shall I save it to your private server?"

"Yeah, go ahead FRI. Tell Pepper that Pete and I are going to go to the labs and eat some pizza later. Oh, and show her this video," he said, ruffling Peter's hair.

The rest of the Avengers stared at the duo in shocked silence as they made their way to the labs.

"What on Earth just happened?" Clint asked, shifting to turn to the others.

"I think we just got pranked. By a kid." Steve replied, still in shock from the experience.

-

Later when Peter had fallen asleep, after Tony sent him to bed, the older man kneeled by his bedside. He cupped the side of his face, brushed his hair back and pressed a soft kiss on his hairline before whispering into his hair,

"I am so proud of you, kid. No matter what you do, a prank or heroic deed, I'll always be proud of you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!! Please comment or give a kudos if you enjoyed!!!! Tell me what I can improve on as well!


	3. Bagels.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I would buy all the bagels in the world if it made you smile like that for a little longer.”
> 
> Or 
> 
> Peter gets his wisdom teeth removed and ends up admitting more than he should.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I am so so SO sorry for the late update but my beta got so busy and I had to find a new one, so this chapter has been super late! My new beta is the amazing @Buckets-of-Stars (I think that's her AO3) For anyone who has still kept this fic bookmarked, I applaud your faith that I would update soon. This chapter is longer than the other 2 so I hope it makes up for it! Happy reading!!!!

"M'ss'er 'tark?" Peter asked drowsily "S'that you?" 

 

"Hey, kiddo. How you feeling?" 

 

"Feel like 'm floatin' 'nd m skin 's jelly," he replied, deadpan. "Feels weird M'ss-M'ss'er- Tony."

 

Tony only chuckled at the boy and ran his hand through his hair. "At least you finally called me Tony, Underoos. Only took you getting drugged." 

 

He was met with a groan. Tony watched as Peter peeled his eyes open, pupils dilated from the bright lights. 

 

"FRIDAY, turn the brightness down for the Spiderbaby's eyes, would you?" 

 

"Of course, Boss. Activating 'it's time for a nap' protocol. Lights have been dimmed by 45%. 

 

"Thanks, FRI."

 

Tony heard a giggle and turned to see Peter dropping his arm onto the blanket, then lift it up slowly and look intently at his palm. 

 

"What's so funny, Shortstacks?" 

 

Peter laughed again and looked up with a happy glint in his eyes. Tony desperately wished that Peter looked like this _all_ the time.

 

"My hand sticks, Tony!" 

 

"Well that makes sense, since you got spidey powers." 

 

"Woahhhh, really? I'm like Spi'erman?" 

 

"Kid. You are Spiderman." Tony said desperately trying not to laugh. 

 

Before Peter got a chance to reply, the rest of the Avengers walked in.

 

"Tony! The 'vengers ar' here!" 

 

Steve chuckled good naturedly and looked around to see the rest of them smiling softly at the drugged up teen. Tony stood by Peter's bedside, carding his fingers through the teen' s hair. He was thrilled so his friend so content and parental. Peter was good for Tony.

 

When the Avengers walked in, Tony had expected them to be loud and break the peaceful quiet of the room. But seeing them smile at Peter made him realise that they all cared deeply for Peter too. He even saw Sam trying to hide a small grin. Peter just had that effect on people. And him being so high on drugs made things even better. 

 

He continued to run his fingers through Peter's hair, the corners of his lips lifting when he saw his muscles relaxing. 

 

"Hey, Peter," Bruce said, politely as he walked up towards Peter. 

 

"Bruce Banner?" Peter replied, awestruck at the scientist. "Tony! B'uce Banner knows m' name!" he whipped his head around to face the older man. 

 

"Yep, kiddo. Thought you'd already gotten your fanboying out before, but I guess not." he chuckled. 

 

"So Peter, how are you feeling? Any pain?" 

 

"M'ss'er Bruce, I haff no idea w'at pain is." 

 

The whole room chuckled while Peter looked around confused. 

 

"Wha'? Why'd you laugh? D' I got sumit in m' teeth?"

 

He tried to cover his face but Tony got there first and removed his hand before he could accidentally hurt himself. 

 

"Careful kid, don't want you to remove the gauze and start bleeding everywhere."

 

" 'm bleedin'? Where?!?" 

 

"Peter, don't you remember? You had your wisdom teeth taken out." Bruce answered, softly. 

 

"You took my' teeth? I wanna 'em back! Give me my' teeth!" 

 

"Peter, they were hurting you. That's why Bruce took them out." Tony said, remembering how much pain Peter had been in before. 

 

-

"Hey, Pete."

 

"H-hey Mr Stark," Peter replied, voice quiet and trembling

 

"Woah what happened here? Looks like someone stuffed your face with meatballs."

 

"It's nothing Mr Stark, I'm fine,I swear!" he placated, wincing slightly 

 

"Yeah, I don't think so. FRI, tell me what's up with the Spiderbaby." 

 

"It seems as though Peter's wisdom teeth have become infected. It would be best to get a dentist to remove them." she informed, voice echoing in the large room 

 

"You heard her. Let's get you to a dentist and pumped full of the strong stuff." 

 

"No! It's fine I swear! I don't need the dentist!" 

 

"Kid. You're in pain. You need to go to the dentist or else this will get worse." Tony said in a gentle voice. 

 

"But I-I don't wanna Mr Stark. My healing can fix it. We don't need the dentist." he pleaded

 

"Come on kid, what's up with you and the dentist?" 

 

"I just don't like them, ok?" 

 

Tony sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He needed to get Peter to the dentist but he didn't want to force him to go. 

 

"What if I just got Bruce to do it? He can do the procedure and he's not a dentist." 

 

Peter mulled this over in his head. He hated going to the dentist but he liked Bruce. He decided that this was better than being in pain and nodded slightly towards Tony, not missing the relief in his eyes. 

 

-

"Ok, Shortstacks. Let's get you upstairs and watching a movie." 

 

Tony turned around to see Peter sticking his hand in the air, an eager look on his face. 

 

"Yes?" 

 

"Can we get' ice c'eam?" 

 

"Sure Pete." he chuckled 

 

-

Once Peter had been taken upstairs and got dressed into comfy clothes, they joined the rest of the Avengers in the communal lounge where they were debating about which movie they should watch. 

 

"Finding Nemo is the obvious option!" Clint shouted, turning to Steve 

 

"We've seen it 16 times already!" 

 

"Well let's make it 17!"

 

"Why don't we just let Peter decide what we get to watch?” Natasha questioned.

 

"Mr Peabo'y and' Sherman!" 

 

"Well, you heard the Spiderbaby.FRIDAY put 'Mr Peabody and Sherman' on." Tony said

 

Everybody quieted after that and Peter and Tony sat down next to each other, Peter clinging to his mentor like a koala bear.

 

20 minutes into the movie and Peter was turning to Tony with droopy eyes. He repeatedly hit Tony, softly, on his shoulder until Tony gave him his attention. 

 

"Tony!" he whisper-shouted 

 

"What's up, bud? You tired already?" 

 

"No!" 

 

"So, what do you want?" 

 

"My mouth hurts," he whined 

 

"Hey, Bruce? Is Peter's mouth supposed to be hurting?" 

 

"It shouldn't be but I'm sure it's probably just the painkillers wearing off. I'll give him another dose. But be prepared for some dopeyness." 

 

-

Once Peter had received his extra dose of painkillers, he was back in the communal living room where the movie was still playing. 

 

Everyone had resettled in their previous spaces and had just gotten comfy when Peter flopped onto Tony's lap earning a grunt from the man. 

 

Before he had a chance to ask why he was being used as a pillow, Peter shushed him with a finger. Wide eyes stared at Tony, while the finger remained on the older man's lips. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Peter jumped up and put his face in front of Tony's. Tony glanced around to see that the rest of the Avengers were staring at the duo, with expressions varying from confused to getting ready to pull Peter off of Tony. 

 

"Tony! I know the answer to life!" 

 

"Oh really? Care to enlighten me?" he asked, the finger finally moving away from his mouth

 

"Bagelssssssssss." he hissed softly 

 

"I'm sorry-what?" he blinked and suddenly Peter had left his lap and was in the adjacent kitchen. He twisted in his seat to see Peter running back with a bagel in his hand and thrusting it in his face. 

 

"Bagels. Are. Amazing." 

 

"Uh they sure are, kid?" he responded, worried about his kid

 

"Tony! I just love bagels so much ya know! They're round and-and they have a hole so they look like donuts but they're not and that made me sad at first but then I ate one and I was in heaven did ya know? And it's so amazing and omg can I marry a bagel?" Peter rambled. 

 

He then flopped onto the couch and swung his legs onto Tony's lap and immediately burst into tears, cradling his bagel to his chest. 

 

" Woah, Pete what's wrong?" his mentor questioned

 

" I just love bagels so much, ya know?" he choked through his tears 

 

Tony couldn't take it anymore, and promptly burst out laughing. He was cackling in his seat, holding his aching stomach in the hopes of subsiding his laughs. The elder man hid his face in his hands and attempted to calm down. 

 

The other Avengers were laughing as well or trying to hold chuckles back

 

"It's not funny. Don't laugh at meeeeeee!" he moaned, shifting in his seat until his face was pressed into Tony's stomach. 

 

The billionaire only chuckled and swiped away the tears that had formed from his laughter. Ruffling his hair, he smiled down at the teen. 

 

"Don't worry, kiddo. I'm sure bagels would be thrilled to know that you love them so much."

 

The rest of the team were cackling at this point and Sam and Clint had fallen to the ground, still laughing. 

 

"FRIDAY, FRIDAY pleeeease tell me you recorded that," Sam asked, still giggling.

 

“Of course, Mr. Wilson. I record everything.” she replied, helpfully

 

“You’re all big meanieeees!” Peter cried, voice muffled behind Tony’s shirt.

-

Later, when everyone else had dispersed, Tony carried Peter back to his bed and laid him there. After tucking him in, he brushed his bangs away and pressed a soft, barely noticeable kiss to his temple before softly stating,

 

“I would buy all the bagels in the world if it made you smile like that for a little longer.” 

 

He left the room with a small grin on his face and looked back at the sleeping teen,

 

“Sweet dreams, Pete.”

 

-

Tony ended up adding bagels to the weekly shopping list, although it was unnecessary, it made Peter smile and blush deeply every time he saw him eating one. But the smile made it all worth it.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! If you enjoyed, leave a kudos or comment (if you want obviously) and if there are any mistakes that you have see then don't hesitate to tell me!!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	4. Closets and Kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, kid? This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t decided to be such an idiot and just listened to me,” Tony complained, having gotten fed up with undoing the mess that Peter had gotten himself into.
> 
> “I know…” the teen whined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm posting 2 chapters on the same day, can you believe it??? Anyway, I had been working on this when I was looking for a new beta (the amazing goddess of writing herself - @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars - that's her Tumblr!) so yeah, I hope you enjoy! This is the longest chapter I have ever written so, happy reading!!!

"Kid? Kid, are you listening to me?" Tony asked, snapping his fingers to get the teen's attention. 

 

"Hmm? Oh yeah, don't worry Mr. Stark, I got it!" said teen answered, quickly pocketing his new Starkphone. He smiled at his mentor before grabbing his bag "I'll see you later!" 

 

"See ya later, Pete. We'll work on it in the lab, okay? Don't take it with you to school, " he said, gentle but stern. "Don't want you getting hurt at school."

 

"Yep, bye! Gotta go or else Happy will get mad!" 

 

"Bye, kid." he replied, chuckling 

 

-

"Have you seen how many views the new Spiderman video got?" Ned excitedly said, running up to Peter as he walked through the doors. 

 

"No, how many?" Peter asked, beginning to get excited too. 

 

"2 million!!! In 3 hours!!!" Ned, all but squealed at his best friend. 

 

"No way! That's so cool! I can't believe that many people watched me on YouTube!" Peter replied, awestruck by the number. 

 

"Well, obviously they would, losers. Who doesn't love Spidey in this city, other than the criminals?" a voice replied from behind them. 

 

The duo turned around to see Michelle stood behind them, arms crossed and a bored expression on her face. Her hair was messy like it always was and she was wearing a shirt that said 'Destroy the patriarchy, not the planet' 

 

"MJ! Don't sneak up on us, you're gonna give us a heart attack one of these days." Peter shrieked, eyes wildly looking around to see if anyone else might've heard the conversation as well. 

 

"Well if you guys weren't practically shouting about you being Spiderman, then maybe you would've heard me walking up to you." she shrugged 

 

"We weren't shouting it!" Ned said defensively. 

 

A look from MJ silenced him before he added more. 

 

The bell rang and they quickly turned in different directions to go to class, promising to meet up at lunch. 

 

-

"So whatcha get up to at your 'internship' last night?" Ned asked, setting his lunch down before seating himself opposite to Peter. 

 

"Nothing much. We worked on some upgrades for the suit and some plans for the new Starkphone. Oh wait that reminds me! Mr. Stark gave me a prototype of it to see how it is!" 

 

"No. Freaking. Way. That's so cool! What does it do? Does it have any special features? Does it have a good camera? Has the software been updated?" Ned asked, eagerly. 

 

"Woah calm down, Ned. One question at a time." he said, smiling at his friends excitement. 

 

-

"And Karen is on here so all I have to do is call for her and she'll basically do anything!" Peter explained, excitedly as MJ sat down. 

 

"What up, losers?" she asked

 

"Peter was telling me about his new Starkphone!" Ned explained already beginning to summarise the different features that Peter had just told him. 

 

"That's actually pretty cool. I'll admit it, Stark knows what will sell." she said, unexpectedly.

 

"The Michelle Jones complimenting Tony Stark? Next you'll be telling me that you don't love reading books!" Peter joked. 

 

"Shut up, you dork," MJ replied, rolling her eyes and gently shoving him. "Anyway, what happened to your web shooters? They look kinda… crushed." 

 

"Huh?" he looked down to see that they did look sorta crushed. "Oh, I broke them when I was on patrol. I didn't get a chance to fix them last night. It's no biggie, I'll just fix it after school today with Mr. Stark." 

 

"You sure that you want faulty web shooters on your wrists at school?" MJ asked 

 

"Yeah you're right, I'll put them in my bag for safekeeping." Peter said, reaching out for his bag. 

 

The warning bell rang before he could open it though, so he grabbed his bag and sprung up, choosing to get to class on time rather than take them off. They could last a couple more hours, right? 

 

-

Beepbeepbeepbeep

 

A quiet beeping sound rang through the classroom but no one except for Peter heard it. His sensitive hearing allowed him to locate the beeping sound in the busy classroom. 

 

It turned out, the noise was coming from his wrists. He cautiously looked around the classroom before pulling his sleeve up slightly to display the broken web shooters and find that there was a blinking red light accompanying the quiet beeping sounds. 

 

"Ned! What do I do?" Peter asked, thrusting his wrist into Ned's face. 

 

"Uhhhhh. Tell the teacher you need the bathroom and go somewhere quiet and fix it?" 

 

"Or call Stark." MJ said, from behind them 

 

Ned jumped but Peter didn't have time to get scared. 

 

"Mr. Stark will kill me! Look I'm gonna go and try and fix this, okay? I'll be right back!" 

 

After getting a hall pass from the teacher, Peter all but leaped into the janitors closet when the blinking red lights got faster and the sound increased.

 

"Oh n-"

 

Peter was cut off with an explosion from his right wrist and covered his face quickly with his other arm. When he opened his eyes he found himself dangling a few feet off the ground, but that didn't last for very long. His other web shooter exploded as well, effectively sticking him to the ceiling. 

 

"Aw, come on! This is so not fair!" Peter groaned, trying to free himself but failing to do so. 

 

"What do I do now?" he said to himself, resting his head against the ceiling. 

 

"Peter, you seem to be in distress. Calling Mr. Stark." Karen's voice said, slightly muffled. 

 

"Nonono! Karen don't call h-" 

 

He was cut off by Mr. Stark asking him, 

 

"Shouldn't you be in class, kid? Karen called me and said that you're in distress but you haven't put on the suit today, so what happened? Is it that Flash kid again? Because if it, God help me I will-" 

 

"Mr. Stark its fine! Karen called you for no reason! I'm perfectly alright! Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing but it's ok because I have everything under control. Not that there was anything out of control, obviously. I mean I always have things under control and-"

 

"Alright kid, stop rambling and tell me what actually happened." Tony interrupted. 

 

"I uh don't know what you're implying."

 

"Peter."

 

"Ok ok! Um so maybe I might've accidentally ya know came to school with my web shooters on?" he paused for a second before continuing, "But I swear it was by accident! I know that you told me not to but I must've grabbed them by accident because I didn't realise I had them on until MJ told me and I was gonna put them away but then the bell rang and I still had them and then they started making weird noises so I ran into the janitors closet and then they exploded-"

 

"They did WHAT?"

 

"And now I'm stuck to the ceiling of the janitors closet and I am very close to a very mysterious stain that I do not want to touch." he moaned miserably, while eyeing the stain next to his head. 

 

Peter heard Tony take a deep breath before answering,

 

"So what you're telling me is that you, Peter Parker, decided to go into school with your broken web shooters, after I explicitly told you NOT to, and are now stuck to the ceiling of a janitor's closet? Am I correct?" 

 

"yes." the teenager answered sheepishly. 

 

A sigh. 

 

"I'll be there in 10." 

 

-

“You know, kid? This wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t decided to be such an idiot and just listened to me,” Tony complained, having gotten fed up with undoing the mess that Peter had gotten himself into.

 

“I know…” the teen whined

 

Tony had been spraying Peter with web dissolver for 20 minutes and had only managed to free his arms. 

 

"Why isn't it dissolving faster?" Tony muttered angrily to himself 

 

"It might be because I tweaked the formula so that it would be stronger?" Peter squeaked, voice an octave higher than usual. 

 

Tony, unblinking, turned his head towards Peter and shut off the web dissolver, maintaining eye contact with the teen. He gritted his teeth and ground out," So you're telling me that you didn't think to mention this, I don't know, 20 MINUTES AGO?!" 

 

"no?" he sheepishly replied 

 

"Whatever! Whatever it's fine, I'll just get the other web dissolver and we'll be finished and you can go back to whatever it is that spiderbabies do." Tony muttered to himself, sarcastically 

 

"I'm sorry, Tony. I know that I should've listened to you earlier. I should be better than this." Peter apologised quietly, as Tony began spraying him with the stronger web dissolver. 

 

"No, kid. I'm sorry for shouting at you. Although it was idiotic of you to take your faulty web shooters, I shouldn't have been so harsh." Tony replied, looking Peter in the eye. 

 

"Let's call it even then."

 

"Alright, kiddo." 

 

-

"Okay that's the last of it. Once I spray this last piece of webbing you need to be ready to drop on the ground, okay?" 

 

"Yep!" 

 

Tony took a step back and pressed the button. The webbing dissolved instantly and Peter began to fall to the ground. Before the estimated impact, Peter swiftly moved his body to land in the infamous superhero ground. 

 

"Did you see that?! That must've looked so cool! I hope FRIDAY recorded it so that I can show Ned!" the teen exclaimed to an amused Tony. 

 

"Yeah yeah, kid. I'll give you the recording later. Right now all I want is a cup of coffee for the trouble you've caused me." Tony poked the teen in the ribs, as he led him towards the door.

 

"Whate-" 

 

Before Peter even got a word out, he was met with a faceful of wet mop. He had managed to walk straight into it and the damp strings had even managed to smack him in the lips. 

 

Peter removed himself from the mop, spluttering and attempting to scrape the taste off of his lips. He was met with the howling laughter of his mentor who was currently leaning against the wall for support as he laughed. 

 

Peter backed away from the mop as much as he could, only to have dirty rags fall onto his head from the top of the shelf. Brushing himself off from the rags he took a step forward, towards the crying billionaire only to slip on a wet patch and land in a bucket that was used for the mop. 

 

By this point, Tony was howling with laughter and struggling to breathe. 

 

"What-whatta first kiss, eh, Pete?" Tony managed to choke out, between his laughs. 

 

"MR. STARKKKKK!" Peter whined. "It's not funnyyyy!" 

 

His mentor finally managed to catch his breath and slowly dragged himself up, brushing the dust off his suit. "Actually kid, I'd say that it's the funniest thing I have ever seen and it is being saved to the 'Spiderbaby file' as I speak." he replied with a wide grin. 

 

Peter only groaned and hid his face in his hands, in a futile attempt to cover his reddening cheeks. 

 

"Aw, come on Pete. I'm sure the rest of the team will be thrilled to hear about your first kiss. In a janitor's closet, no less." Tony teased, pulling Peter up from the bucket and leading him out of the school. 

 

"Shut up," the embarrassed teen said, nudging the billionaire with his shoulder. "Don't even mention it to them." 

 

Tony only chuckled in response. 

 

-

"So… you saved it to a specific file, made just for Peter?" 

 

"Yeah, of course I did. Gotta embarrass him somehow." 

 

"I don't know, man. I think you're turning into a dad. Seems like very dad-like behaviour, Tony." 

 

"I am not the kid's dad." 

 

"You gave him The Talk before his first date. And you have a file made just to embarrass him! You sound like a dad to me, and I should know, I have 3 kids." Clint replied, sipping his coffee. 

 

"Whatever. I'm not his dad." Tony shrugged off, walking out of the common area. 

 

-

Clint watched as Peter ran to hug Tony quickly, before sprinting out the room in a rush to get to school. 

 

Tony said his goodbyes quickly, hiding a smile in his coffee mug. But he couldn't hide the eyes that softened at Peter's hug and were always joyful in his presence. 

 

"Toldya." he covered up with a cough. He knew Tony was Peter's dad as soon as he saw the duo together. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to try and get the next chapter written up but you guys might have to wait a bit bc I'm going on holiday tomorrow and won't be back for 3 weeks. So I'll try and write the other 2 chapters and post once I come back! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! If I have made any mistakes then don't hesitate to tell me! My Tumblr is @just-the-daydreamer so check it out!


	5. Flying spiders and accidental sleepovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey, Underoos. Thought I told you to go take a nap? Sleep is very important for spider-babies." 
> 
> Tony didn't get a verbal response. Instead he was given a bowl. 
> 
> "Did-Did you just hand me a bowl?" 
> 
> "You gotta hold on to it. Keep it safe. S'only a baby. Needs love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to first of all say I'm sorry for not updating for almost 2 months but I was on holiday and when I came back I got major writers block but I wrote it and then school started and it was a whole mess. But a special thanks to @baloobird (she has a AO3 but idk how to link that - it's just the same name!) for betaing this chapter and being such a great supporter! You should all check out her fics they are precious! And to @tony-wheres-my-supersuit (on Tumblr) just for being so awesome and hyping me up! So here's the next chapter! Happy reading!!!

Peter loved sleeping but then again, so did most people. And as much as the kid loved to sleep, he rarely got the required amount needed which is, again, something that most people could not manage to do. However, the difference between Peter and most people is that most people aren't an enhanced teenager who spend their evenings in a high-tech onesie fighting the bad guys of Queens. Sue him for wanting a couple of extra hours of sleep per night. 

 

He only managed to catch up on his sleep when he was at Tony's, mainly due to the fact that his mentor made sure that Peter was either in bed or winding down with a movie before eleven, at the latest. The kid also got to sleep in on the weekends and would usually stir at around one or two in the afternoon. This usually wasn't a problem for Tony and Pepper, but since the Avengers moved back in, Peter's sleeping schedule had to…adjust slightly. 

 

Steve was an early riser; he’d get up before six to jog and Sam was usually not far behind. Natasha would get up not long after that, around seven, and Clint followed suit. Pepper would usually leave for work at this time, but Peter was used to her schedule so he slept through her departure. At around eight, Vision usually left his room and headed to the lounge - Peter wasn't sure if he actually slept but it felt impolite to ask. Sam and Steve would usually be back around that time and after showering, Steve and Vision would start on breakfast. At around nine, Bruce would wake up to the wonderful smell of whatever they were cooking and Tony would be lured out once he heard the coffee machine start. 

 

10 a.m. It was awfully early for Peter to be getting up on a weekend when he’s so used to waking up in the middle of the day, but after hearing how loud everyone else was, he forced himself to get out of bed and walk to the lounge.

 

He mumbled a greeting to Steve and Natasha, grabbed his plate, and sat next to Tony. The man playfully ruffled his kid’s hair but said kid quickly grabbed his mentor’s hand and gently set it on the table - far away from his curls. As Peter devoured his food, Tony got up and made his way to the couch that is in front of the TV. When the young hero finished eating, he washed his plate and took a seat next to his father figure. The television then became background noise to Peter as he focused on more important matters such as not falling asleep on Tony. He managed to stave off sleep for a few hours until it was around three and at that point, the older man could see that the teen was fighting a losing battle. 

 

"Listen, kid, if you're really that tired you could go to sleep for a couple more hours and no one will say anything," Tony said, in an attempt to get him some much-needed rest. 

 

"I'm not tired." 

 

'Kid-"

 

"I'm. Not. Tired." 

 

Tony sighed. He muttered a quiet “whatever” and turned towards the TV, counting down the minutes before Peter ultimately fell asleep. 

 

The billionaire had just counted down the last seconds in his head when he felt a soft thud on his shoulder and looked to see that Peter is fast asleep. Before he could control himself, his face morphed into a fond expression that’s reserved only for his kid. He caught himself a few moments later, but not before Natasha gave him a knowing look. A glare was given in exchange. 

 

The man gently moved Peter's head onto his lap and carded his fingers through his hair, eyes locked onto the TV to avoid the not-so-subtle looks he was receiving. 

 

Seventeen minutes and 38 seconds later, Tony decided to move the spiderling back to his room, but that was easier said than done. Although Peter was lighter than the average teenager, the older genius was (admittedly) getting old. His back would not let him forget this and neither would the rest of his team. 

 

He scooped Peter in a bridal style hold and stood up with the kid’s head resting against his shoulder. He walked out of the room as fast as he possibly could without disturbing him. 

 

Once he made sure that Peter was tucked in and safe, he returned to the lounge to find everyone watching TV and was pleased when nobody turned to him or asked any questions. 

 

Well, almost nobody. Natasha turned to him as he went back to his previous position and smiled one of her very rare but very real smiles. Rhodey also turned to him fleetingly and smirked that same idiotic smirk that he used in MIT when they first met. 

 

* * *

 

 

Peter slept until 6 p.m. and Tony would have been worried but he received a report from KAREN showing him that Peter hadn't been sleeping that much for the past week, so he let him be. 

 

* * *

 

 

Sam got up to refill his bowl of sweets that he had somehow acquired during the binge-watching marathon that was taking place. He was getting out said sweets when he heard a sound behind him. 

 

"Peter? What are you doing here? Did you want something?" 

 

"M'looking. Super important. Gotta-gotta find it." 

 

"Uh, whatcha looking for? Maybe I can help." 

 

"No! S'mine!" Peter exclaimed quietly, his words slightly slurred together. 

 

At this point, Sam was slightly worried about the kid, he’s never known him to be spewing nonsense like this. The hero then slowly shuffled away from the teen who had started opening random cabinets. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Tony, I think your kid needs you. He's in the kitchen."

 

"Come on, Birdbrain, I've already told you that Peter's not my kid. And I thought he was asleep?" 

 

"Yeah, well he's awake now and not making much sense. So, go help your kid." 

 

Sam received an eye roll in response, but Tony got up anyway and headed to the adjoining kitchen. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Underoos. Thought I told you to go take a nap? Sleep is very important for spider-babies." 

 

Tony didn't get a verbal response. Instead he was given a bowl. 

 

"Did-Did you just _hand_ me a bowl?" 

 

"You gotta hold on to it. Keep it safe. S'only a baby. Needs love." 

 

"Pete, are you ok? FRIDAY scan him, wouldya? My kid has gone crazy." 

 

"It seems that Mr. Parker is sleepwalking." FRIDAY informed helpfully. 

 

"Again? I thought this stopped a while back?" Tony questioned as he put the bowl on the island. 

 

"Yes, but Mr. Parker's lack of sleep this week has led to him being sleep deprived, which is a common trigger for sleepwalking." 

 

"Did you just say that he stopped sleepwalking?" Sam asked as he walked into the kitchen. 

 

"What the-" Tony jumped as he heard Sam's voice, "Oh, it's just you."

 

"Yeah it's just me, so answer the question." 

 

"Yeah, he stopped a while back but KAREN told me he had a rough week and didn't get that much sleep so this is pretty understandable. Which reminds me, I need to get Peter back to bed." 

 

Sam watched as Tony walked to the cabinet that Peter was trying to sit in. 

 

"Are you sure that kid's ok?" 

 

"Yeah, now shut up." 

 

Tony turned his back on Sam and approached Peter quietly, his steps slow and steady. 

 

"Hey, bud. Looks like you got yourself into quite a situation, huh?" 

 

Tony spoke in a low volume but made the words almost hum in his chest. He kept talking to him gently until the young hero was right next to him. 

 

"Hey kiddo, you ready to go back to bed? I think it's about time a certain spider-baby goes back to bed." 

 

Tony gently rubbed his cheekbone with the pad of his thumb. He wasn't sure why, but he did everytime Peter sleepwalked. It was more for him than it was for Peter. 

 

Peter, fortunately, leaned into the touch and allowed Tony to scoop him up in a bridal hold and take him back to bed. 

 

* * *

 

 

"Alright, what did I miss?" Tony asked as he walked back in the room.

 

"I think it's us that missed out. FRIDAY showed us the tapes of you taking Peter back to bed when he sleepwalked." Clint replied, a mischievous grin on his face. 

 

Tony rolled his eyes in response, his mask of indifference sliding into place as he once again sat down and turned towards the TV. The genius felt vulnerable; talking his kid into going to bed showed a side of him that was reserved just for Peter and that was only seen by Pepper, Rhodey and even Happy on occasion. He didn't want the rest of the team to find out for a reason.

 

* * *

 

 

The adults were just getting back into the show when they heard a crash come from the kitchen. Everyone turned their heads towards the room and a few were about to go investigate when Steve jumped up and approached the kitchen quietly. The team watched with bated breath as the hero slipped silently into the room and inspected the mess. 

 

Steve had just entered the kitchen when he saw the remains of a few ceramics on the ground and a small figure huddled in a cabinet.

 

"Peter? What happened, why are there broken dishes everywhere? Peter, come on I'm not mad." 

 

"So, you got a detention…" Peter mumbled under his breath, so quietly that without his super hearing, Steve might not had heard it. 

 

"Oh, come on, you wanna quote me on that? I hate those damn PSAs." Steve muttered. 

 

"Language." Peter replied, voice null of any emotion. 

 

"Alright kid, what's going on? Why don't you come out from under the cabinet and away from the broken dishes?"

 

Steve somehow managed to get Peter away from the “danger zone” but he felt as if something was off with the teen. Usually, he would've started apologising long ago but this time Peter remained silent. 

 

He put a hand on Peter's shoulder and steered him away from the mess. He managed to get them both a safe distance away from the “danger zone” when Peter suddenly bolted towards the lounge where everyone was staring at him. 

 

No one heard the sharp intake of breath from Tony. 

 

Peter stopped suddenly in front of the TV. He jumped onto the ceiling and began to walk upside down. He then shot a web to the ceiling and let himself down until he was directly in front of Tony. 

 

"I believe I can flyyyy…" Peter began to sing, sleepily. The room was silent except for the young hero's song, "I believe I cAn tOUch the skYyy…" he continued, his voice cracking. 

 

Tony burst into silent laughter and was soon joined by the rest of the team, muffling sniggers behind their hands and hiding their laughter with pillows. 

 

As if sensing the laughter, the young brunette dropped from his web into his mentor’s lap. He then wrapped his arms and legs around his mentors torso and hid his face in the crook of his neck. 

 

His father figure, however, was wiping away tears that had formed throughout this ordeal in an attempt to calm down. 

 

"S'mine…."

 

"What's yours, Pete?" Tony replied, softly, trying to desperately smother the feeling of embarrassment and warmth that he knew for a fact was his blushing cheeks. 

 

"Super impo'tant…." 

 

"Is it now?" 

 

"Found it!" Peter softly exclaimed. 

 

Tony decided not to reply and instead ran his fingers through Peter's soft hair. 

 

"My Tony," the brunette whispered with such certainty that Tony would've been taken aback if he hadn't been sat down. 

 

"Oh, Pete," Tony whispered, his heart bursting with so much love for the sleepy teen that he forgot who else was in the room with him.

 

"Not your kid my as-" a look from Steve silenced Sam before he managed to complete his sentence.

 

"Go put him back to bed, Tones. Despite what you think, we can survive a few minutes without your presence," Rhodey said, a small smirk making its way onto his face. 

 

"Yeah, go put your kid to bed, Stark," Natasha added. 

 

"I hate you all," Tony deadpanned.

 

"Love ya too, Ned," Peter said, his voice muffled, "You're ma bes' f'iend." 

 

Tony could feel the sleepy smile from Peter on his neck. 

 

The billionaire stood up and was only mildly surprised when he found that he didn't have to hold Peter up. It's not like it was a breaking development that Peter could stick to things. 

 

He took Peter back to his room and attempted to rid himself from the clingy koala that he had acquired. The spider-baby, however, decided that this would not be possible and only held on tighter, burying his face into the crook of his neck. 

 

"Alright, guess that's not happening," Tony muttered to himself.

 

With a resigned sigh, Tony laid on the bed and arranged his and Peter's bodies in a position that would cause the least amount of back pain. 

 

He pressed a feather-light kiss to the teenager's crown while whispering, "The things I do for you, eh Pete?" 

 

He fell asleep before he noticed the figure stood in the doorway. 

 

* * *

 

 

Pepper sighed in relief as she slipped off her heels and padded through the quiet hallway. She noticed that Peter's door was open slightly and walked towards his room with the intention of closing it. 

 

What she unexpectedly saw brought a fond smile to her face. 

 

Tony - asleep on the kid's bed - was on his side with one of his arms draped over Peter's torso. The other arm held him close to his body, with his hand cupping the back of the boy's head. Part of his face was hidden in his mentee’s hair. 

 

Peter, with his head tucked under Tony's chin, had both arms wrapped around his father figure’s body. Both sets of legs were tangled together to such an extent that it was difficult to see where one started and the other ended.

 

"FRIDAY? Take a picture and send it to me," she whispered, a smile still present on her face.

 

"Of course Ms Potts." 

 

She grabbed her phone as she received the notification, and turned around to see Rhodey walking up to her. 

 

"Rhodey! I didn't know you were here." 

 

Rhodey hugged her and muttered something about “surprise visit.” 

 

"Yeah, well I only got here today. I just came by to check up on Tony, Peter was sleepwalking again so Tony had to take him back to his room. It's been a while since he left so I came to see what was taking so long," Rhodey quickly summarised. 

 

"Well…" Pepper bit her lip to hide a smile and gestured towards the open door. 

 

"Oh." 

 

"Yeah, oh." Pepper chuckled. 

 

"You took a picture?"

 

"One step ahead of you, Rhodes." 

 

The duo smiled at each other before closing the door and letting the sleeping pair rest. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! A comment or kudos will always be appreciated! I'm working on the final chapter right now and I hope it will be posted soon! Thank you guys for being so patient with me!
> 
> My Tumblr is @just-the-daydreamer so don't be scared to check me out! I post mainly irondad with a sprinkle of random things! Thanks for reading!!!


	6. The brightest colours fill my head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter bunched up his shirt with his fist to calm his anxiety. He released it. Bunched it up. Let it go. He unconsciously repeated this pattern, too wrapped up in his thoughts to realise the newfound wrinkles. Just a few days ago he was telling May about his upcoming trip to MoMA and now he had just been told that it’s been five years since he was on Earth. And Tony was in the hospital, getting surgery to fix…everything. They weren't sure if he would even make it out alive. 
> 
> It was a lot to take in. Too much. He needed a minute to breathe without May staring at him with her eyes glazed over or Happy asking him how he was or Rhodey looking at him like- like he was glass waiting to break. He wasn't a broken shard of glass, he wasn't a little kid that needed to be coddled. He was Peter Parker and he lived through all of this and he would continue living, whether the adults would think he’ll break or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is such a relief to say that this fic is (finally) complete! Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me through slow updates and who have left kind comments throughout this fic! They've really helped me to write this and I am so grateful for them! Let's just say that I am not going to attempt another multi-chapter fic - I might just stick with one shots! Without further ado, I present to you, the last chapter of 5 times Peter made Tony laugh and 1 time he made him cry!!!!! Happy reading!!!!! 💕 ❤️ 💕

 

 

 

Tony woke up in a haze as people were running around him, shouting at each other and collecting things. He couldn't understand what anyone was saying though, the sounds were muffled and jumbled. Shapes seemed to blend together and his eyes kept fluttering shut, but he did manage to focus on a strand of strawberry blonde hair before he fell back into unconsciousness. 

 

* * *

 

 

Peter bunched up his shirt with his fist to calm his anxiety. He released it. Bunched it up. Let it go. He unconsciously repeated this pattern, too wrapped up in his thoughts to realise the newfound wrinkles. Just a few days ago he was telling May about his upcoming trip to MoMA and now he had just been told that it’s been five years since he was on Earth. And Tony was in the hospital, getting surgery to fix…everything. They weren't sure if he would even make it out alive. 

 

It was a lot to take in. Too much. He needed a minute to breathe without May staring at him with her eyes glazed over or Happy asking him how he was or Rhodey looking at him like- like he was glass waiting to break. He wasn't a broken shard of glass, he wasn't a little kid that needed to be coddled. He was Peter Parker and he lived through all of this and he would continue living, whether the adults would think he’ll break or not.

 

* * *

 

 

May had her baby back and she was immensely grateful to the Avengers and everyone else who helped. For the past five years, she'd somehow managed to continue living but the hollowness could not be filled by a busy schedule and dusty photos in his old room. Peter was all that she had left and she lost him too. 

 

Rhodey was the one who told her what happened. And although she never liked Tony all that much, she hoped he would be okay. Because he was the reason her baby was back and for that, she could never thank him enough. 

 

Peter came back and they shed a lot more than a few tears for the years that they lost and for the man who saved them all. He wasn't dead, but he was hanging by a thread. And although May had never been religious, she cried to a god she didn't believe in to save the man who brought back her baby. She just hoped it would be enough. 

 

* * *

 

 

Rhodey watched the kid. It was both endearing and heartbreaking to see the teen act so much like Tony when they'd first met. Tony had only been a few years younger than Peter, but he was destined for so much more. He'd immediately stepped up to take care of him, and they'd been best friends since. Who would've thought that he'd watch Tony become a father and save the world? 

 

When Rhodey and Tony met, they were both kids at MIT. Tony was only fifteen and terrified, but nobody could see it behind the charming persona he put on. Rhodey did though, and when they became friends, he got to see the child in him that no one allowed him to be. 

 

Seeing Peter so anxious and using the same technique that Tony used to do in college made something inside his heart break a little.

 

Someone might've said that he looked at Peter with pity in his eyes but it wasn't pity. It was understanding. Rhodey knew how terrifying it was to have someone so close to you be close to death. So when Rhodey looked at Peter, he didn't look at him with pity but with understanding and unfortunately, there was nothing he could do but offer silent support while the flaming red of his memories turned to a sombre grey. 

 

* * *

 

 

Happy would never admit it but the kid had grown on him. So much so that he kind of enjoyed having him around on those long drives to the compound. He had even begun to _like_ listening to the kid's rambling. To see the kid so disconnected from the world and unresponsive made him worry more for him. To fill the void without his ramblings, Happy decided to periodically ask him how he was feeling. He only ever got the word “fine” in response. 

 

He hoped that Tony would be okay, hoped that Tony would pull through and make a stupid joke about dying. Anything to cut through the dark cloud of sadness in his days. And although he knew that hoping wouldn't make it better, he couldn't help but do so anyway. 

 

* * *

 

Pepper felt hollow. The gaping hole inside of her was so large and painful that she thought she would collapse in on herself. The moment when Tony's arc reactor flickered out replayed over and over until it was burned into her memory like a tattoo. 

 

Her only source of joy was Morgan. Looking after her daughter gave her a purpose through her pain. She spent almost all her time and energy into making sure that her child was happy until she could just _forget_ that Tony was in a coma. She finally understood why Tony buried himself in work.

 

She sobbed in the quietness of her room, where no one could see her break down. Where she wished that the brown orbs that had gotten so used to loving didn't seem like such an ashy grey anymore. 

 

* * *

 

So many people had asked Peter how he was doing and how he was holding up but the teenager wasn't able to offer more than a blank expression and a deadpan “fine.” 

 

How could he explain that he felt like he was being pulled in two different directions? That he was feeling completely opposite things and he didn't know which one to listen to? How could he tell them, when he didn't even know what he was feeling either? 

 

They all meant well, but he just didn't want them there. He just wanted to breathe without being watched with pity. He wanted to scream and cry and let himself explode in the privacy of his own room but he _couldn't_ so instead he decided to implode quietly. 

 

Life used to be vibrant and the colours danced around him, making the most beautiful things. But after he came back, the world had seemed to be plunged into a dull grey. 

 

* * *

 

 

Peter and May had been staying in the Tower following the fight. Pepper insisted and it's not like they could refuse, their apartment was pretty far away and Peter wanted to stay close to Tony until he’d wake up.

 

Tony. God, just thinking about him made his throat swell up and he had to force back tears. He couldn't cry when there was a chance that his hero could be alive. All Tony had to do was wake up. The man had survived everything leading up to Thanos, even wielded the gauntlet with the help of the other Avengers, survived the surgery to heal everything, and he could possibly die from not waking up.

 

It was ironic. The man with insomnia could die from sleeping too much. But life had always been unfair to Peter. 

 

Everything seemed to be unfair. The universe hated him: it took his parents, took Uncle Ben, gave him spider-powers, and made him watch innocent people die. It had taken him to space, made him a soldier, he even fought in a war and _died._ And when he came back, he watched Tony fall to the ground and the arc reactor flicker out. He thought the man had died. And Peter wasn't sure if he could handle another death. But there was a chance that he would have to anyway. Because life was unfair. 

 

* * *

 

"You know, Morgan's been asking for you."

 

"What?" 

 

"She wants to meet you." Pepper offered with a smile as she sat down next to Peter.

 

"Oh, I don't think she'd want to see me like this. I'm not-I'm not in the mood to try and be cheerful, Miss Pot- I mean Mrs. Stark." He quickly corrected. It had been so strange to get used to how the world was now. Especially since Tony and Pepper got married. 

 

"I've already told you, Peter, it's ‘Pepper.’ And anyway, she's not like other five-year-olds. Maybe it'll do you some good to talk to someone who doesn't look at the world through the eyes of a hero." 

 

"She's yours and Tony's kid, there's no way she could be like a normal five-year-old." 

 

Pepper chuckled. 

 

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean you can't meet her, does it?" 

 

* * *

 

"Hi there, Morgan."

 

"Peter!"

 

The teen was certainly surprised when the young girl tackled him in a running hug. The only reason he didn't fall over was because of his powers, but that didn't mean he wasn't still confused as to why she greeted him as if they'd met before. He hugged back though, even though he was slightly confused. 

 

"You're just like how Daddy described!" 

 

"W-what?"

 

"Daddy always told stories of you! He said that you're my big brother!"

 

"He talked about me?" Peter asked, eyes wide in surprise as he turned to Pepper who was leaning against the doorframe, watching the interaction. She bit her lip as she smiled and nodded, eyes turning suspiciously misty. 

 

"What did he tell you about me? Maybe I can tell you some stories of your old man." Peter replied with a gentle smile. 

 

"Really?!" 

 

"Yeah, munchkin." 

 

She cheered with joy as Peter picked her up and brought her to the living room to trade stories. 

 

* * *

 

"Hi, Tony." Peter whispered to the eerily still body in the hospital bed. 

 

"I was talking to Morgan earlier, it turns out we have a ton in common. I've always wanted a younger sibling and she's such a great kid. You must be so proud." He let a soft smile make its way upon his face. 

 

"I wish I could've been there when you and Pepper got married. I always knew you two were made for each other." His eyes were glazed over with thoughts of what the wedding was like and he could feel tears pricking. 

 

"I wish I could've been there when Morgan was born. Obviously not at the actual birth - that would be weird." He sniffed and attempted a smile, "But I wish I could've held her when she was born. Seen her grow up. I'm glad you have her, Tony."

 

"I wish that I had listened to you, Tony." His voice began to break as he continued. 

 

"I wish that we had more time together. I wish that you'd just WAKE UP!" Peter screamed at the unconscious man. His head fell onto Tony's left hand, which had been holding throughout his visit. 

 

His heartbreaking cries racked his small frame and echoed through the room. He felt so hollowed out and hopeless that all he could do was sob. 

 

The world kept pushing him down every time he got up. He was drowning and expected to carry on as normal. It hurt him. Bruised him. Made him suffer and cry. The world, the universe, life...whatever one wants to call it, it hated Peter, it took away the people he loved the most. And now it was taking away another one. 

 

* * *

 

"They said they're gonna try something different. They say it's risky and you could die. I can hear them talking about it." Peter sighed and walked over to the side of the bed. "I don't want you to go, Mr. Stark, I just got you back." He grabbed Tony's hand as he spoke again, "This can't be our goodbye, Tony, it can't. Not when I barely got the chance to say ‘hello.’" 

 

"Peter, I know this is hard but Tony might pull through if we give him the _chance._ It’s not an easy decision for me to make but I believe it's the right one. We all love him and we're sure he's going to pull through." Pepper said as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

 

"But what if he doesn't? What if-what if he dies? Mrs. Stark, _please,_ you can't risk it!" 

 

"I know how difficult this is for you, believe me, I do. But this is our best choice. Trust me, Peter." 

 

"I-okay. I trust you, Mrs. Stark." 

 

"Thank you, Peter. You can have a few moments alone with him before they come to take him off, spend them wisely. I'll see you soon, Pete." 

 

"Bye, Mrs. Stark." 

 

* * *

 

Peter slumped in his chair as he watched Pepper's retreating figure leave the room. He leaned forward on his elbows to clasp Tony's heavy hand in both of his. 

 

Tony meant everything to him. He was there after Ben died, even though he didn't know it. Tony picked up his pieces and put them back together in a way that May just couldn't do. He had a mentor to guide him in his life now, he had a father figure to fill the empty space that the previous figures had left. He had a Dad. And he was about to lose him. 

 

"I can't bear to say goodbye if something happens to you, Tony, I just can't. So I won't." 

 

"Hi, Dad." He whispered as he stood up. 

 

Releasing one of his hands, he brushed back the hair that had fallen onto Tony's forehead and pressed and gentle but firm kiss on his temple. He let go of Tony's hand and turned to leave the hospital room. 

 

"Peter?" A voice whispered, croaky and low with disuse. 

 

"Tony!" 

 

Peter’s head whipped around to see Tony, bewildered and confused, looking at him with bleary eyes. 

 

"You're-you're awake!" Peter rushed towards him and wound his arms around the man's torso. 

 

"Hey, kiddo." The man croaked, a smile making its way up his face. 

 

"Tony," the teen sobbed into the elder man's collarbone, "They said you weren't gonna make it and-and that you wouldn't wake up." 

 

"Well, I made it, didn't I?" He joked, trying for a smile from Peter. 

 

"Yeah, yeah I guess you did." The young hero sniffed, and the smile could be heard in his voice. 

 

_"Oh God, kid_. _I_ _missed you so much."_

 

"I know. I'm sorry."

 

"Don't apologise, it wasn't your fault, okay? There was nothing you could've done to stop it." 

 

"Sorry." Peter whispered. 

 

Tony chuckled and responded, "Never change, kid. Never." He then added as an afterthought, "Maybe call someone to get me off these machines, huh?" 

 

That made Peter spring into action as he sprinted out of the room to call a nurse and everyone else. 

 

When everyone saw him awake after the nurse unplugged him from the machines and sat in the lounge, they crowded around Tony, talking and asking so many questions in a way that was utter _chaos._ But the man loved it anyway. The feeling of them being near him. The commotion made him feel all the more at home and less alone. It made him feel content.

 

As the hours flew by, the room seemed to vibrate, bursting with colours so vibrant and beautiful with pigments he had forgotten about almost as if the world was finally starting to wake up. 

* * *

 

Later, when the celebrations were winding down and everyone was heading to bed, Tony noticed someone stood outside on the porch. He kissed Pepper goodnight and put Morgan to bed with a firm kiss on her cheek before heading outside to where the figure stood, looking out towards the lake. 

 

"Hey, kid. Whatcha doing out here?" 

 

"O-oh, Mr. Stark! I didn't know you were still awake. I thought you had gone to bed like everyone else. It's been a long day, so no one would blame you." 

 

"Woah there, Pete. You haven't called me ‘Mr. Stark’ for ages. What's up with you?" 

 

"Nothing." Tony gave him a look. "I swear there's nothing going on! I just wanted a moment of quiet, you know?"

 

"Yeah, kid, I get it. Don't mind me staying out here for a little bit, do ya?" 

 

"Nah, you're always welcome to stay with me." Peter said, a crooked grin on his face. 

 

Tony didn't know what came over him but in that moment, he pulled Peter close to him for a hug, already reaching for him before he realised what was happening. Luckily, Peter hugged him back. Resting his head on his father figure’s chest with a soft sigh, Tony felt the tension leak out of Peter and hugged him a little tighter. 

 

"Those five years without you were the hardest of my life, kiddo. I missed you so much." 

 

"I'm really sorry, Tony. I know, I know you told me not to apologise for what happened but _I'm sorry that you suffered so much after we lost."_

 

"Well, I've got you back now, kid. And trust me when I say this, Pete: I am never letting go of you again." His voice was shaky and his eyes were filled to the brim with tears. 

 

Maybe a few years ago he would've denied crying, but it had been _five whole years_ without his son. He had a daughter and almost _died_ trying to bring Peter back. Somehow, he was lucky enough to see them both, to live a life with both of his kids and his beautiful wife. One that was full of colour and _life._

 

"I trust you, Tony. I always have." 

 

"Hey, no more of that ‘Tony’ stuff, okay? Don't think I didn't hear you call me ‘Dad.’"

 

"You wouldn't mind if I called you ‘Dad’?" 

 

Tony pulled back from the hug just enough so he could look Peter in the eye and replied, "Peter, if you called me ‘Dad’, I would be _honoured."_

 

"Hi, Dad."

 

"Hi, son." 

 

Tony pulled Peter back into the hug, clinging to him tightly as he buried his face into Peter's curls. The smell of his kid’s shampoo, the feeling of him hugging back, the knowledge that he was _alive_ and _here_ brought a tear to his eye. Before he knew it, he was crying as he pressed a long kiss on top of his curls. 

 

He looked up to the sky, tears rolling down his cheeks and thanked whatever was out there for bringing his son back to him. 

 

_"I love you, so, so much, Peter."_

 

_"I love you too, Dad."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the end of my first (and probably last) multi-chapter fic! This was way harder than I thought it would be but it has been so much fun too! I'm going to simultaneously miss having a project to work on in my free time and be so relieved I might turn into a puddle! Thank you to everyone who helped make this fic - my three betas - @aatticsaltt, @keep-a-bucket-full-of-stars and @baloobird (their Tumblr's but their names are pretty much the same on AO3) for helping me!!! I'm still gonna be writing more fics so if you like my writing look out for anymore of my works! Thank you again!!! 💕 ❤️ 💕 ❤️ 💕 ❤️


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